The Cross in the Culture: Connecting Our Stories to the Greatest Story Ever Told

by Ruth Buchanan

The basic needs of the human heart are reflected in the stories we tell.

As women and men made in the image of God, all storytellers reflect his timeless truths-whether they realize it or not.

In The Cross in the Culture, Ruth Buchanan explores how Christians engage with stories of every kind. Together, we will discover the image of God and the eternal truths of Scripture reflected in our shared narratives. In one way or another, every story connects back to the greatest Person who ever lived and the greatest story ever told.

All we need are eyes to see the connections.

158 pages, Paperback

Published October 20, 2020

About the author

Ruth Buchanan is a Christian freelance writer and the author of seven books, four stage plays, and countless articles and essays. She is the Director of Literary Services at Build a Better Us.

Stars based on subjective enjoyment rather than merit.

Reviews

[Aarik Danielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth Buchanan's singular personality and wit come through in this volume. The book reads like one of your smartest (yet most self-aware) friends sitting with you to parse out why stories matter. The middle of the book, in which Ruth traces the themes and implications of certain genres, would serve as a perfect primer for any Christian (or anyone else) thinking through the relationship between the stories we tell and the stories we live. A valuable (and fun) resource, to be sure.

[Jubin Varghese · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that connects stories we read with the story of the Bible and Jesus? Sign me up!

I'm so glad I came across this book and author on Twitter (@RuthMBuchanan).

Being a reader of stories (especially fantasy) I could feel deep down in me that there is some connection between stories and my faith in Jesus. And then I found this book!

The book starts of with the author's personal story. I found myself a bit lost initially but grew into it. I was drawn into her life's story and was glad by the end of the book that she shared it. Feels like I got know her a bit haha.

But of course, my favourite part is when she talks about fiction and fantasy. My favourite genres. I loved the connections she drew, and it felt like someone was putting my thoughts into words. So cool.

The book talks about other genres as well, like non-fiction, biographies, true crime, comedy, etc. Some of which I relate to and some which I don't. Getting through the genres I didn't relate to took time, but that's my personal opinion, you might like it.

The Kindle version didn't have the table of contents, which made navigating book the harder. No big deal but would prefer having it. 😅

Finally, the author suggests books of different genres as part of the narrative, which is cool. If you ever want to pick up a book of a particular genre you can check out the book (or ask her on Twitter!).

In conclusion, if you're an avid reader, pick up this book to see how something as common as stories connects to God's Story. If you're not a reader of any degree, pick up this book to see that stories are worth investing time into (especially fantasy and fiction 😉).

[Fayelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with all of Ruth's books, I wish I could give it more stars. Ruth is talented - she can make the profound so relatable and applicable, all the time. She challenges and convicts without it feeling like it's beating me over the head or shaming me. All those tabs are all the highlighting I did. This is a TREASURE.

"We recognize that God takes women's theological questions seriously. Furthermore, he will go out of his way to engage directly with the social outcasts and isn't afraid of blowback from his own community."

[Gina Dalfonzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

With wit and wisdom, Ruth connects the literary genres we love with the source of all Truth, helping burst the cultural bubbles that have often prevented us from seeing the connections that were always there. A very valuable read.

[AddyF · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Ruth shows us how to connect our media entertainment choices (reading, TV, podcasts, etc.) to "the greatest story ever told"--the story of the gospel. I loved how she went through every genre of storytelling, from mysteries to comedies to true crime or realistic fiction and showed redemptive reasons for why we are drawn into certain genres and how to look at the characters, themes, and plot lines through the lens of the Grand Story. I love how she told her own story and connected it to how she interacts with stories in popular culture. One thing that was especially delightful was how she gave examples from books, TV shows, movies and podcasts, especially ones I have loved. Ruth reads voraciously and processes wisely, and this book gives a glimpse of her wisdom and discernment.

I want to recommend this book to several of my Goodreads friends, and you can borrow my copy if you want--first come, first served.

Neel: Ruth connects the gospel to stories the way Andy does in his preaching. You need to get to know Ruth anyway (new member at church), and this would be a great way to get to know her.

Jeremy, Kelley, Lacey, Jo: You all know Ruth, and you all love stories. You'll love this book I think.

[Sarah Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book that I would typically read, but found myself enjoying the way that Buchanan shows us how we can see Christ in multiple book genres. As Christians, we can't bury our heads in the sand, and Buchanan helps us broaden our vision.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am the author. Giving this book 5 stars because "it's complicated" isn't an option.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this book. I must say that I had a number of feelings while reading it, but I found things to contemplate that I had never thought of before. It is not a book strictly for those who want to be writers, but it can benefit those who are struggling with things they see in the culture and seeing a larger picture of God.